Knitting-machine.



M. C. MILLER.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLECATION FILED FEB. a. 1914.

1,26 1,050o Patented Apr. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A TTORNEY.

M. C. MILLER.

KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICAIION men FEB. 6 I914.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918,

4 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

INVENTOR. 1

A TTORNEY.

M. C. MlLLER.--

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. 191

1,261,500 Patented Apr. 2,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

; yfl V M. C. MILLER.

KNITTING MACHINE. -APPL ICATION FILED FEB. 6, 39 .4.

1,261,050. Patented Apr. 2,1918,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

LVVEATOR.

A TTORNEY.

MAX 0. MILLER, 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO JENCKES KNITTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 2, i918.

Application filed February 6, 1914. Serial No. 816,922.

To all whom itmag concern:

Be it known that I, MAX C. MILLER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Providence, in'the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itated by one or more knitting cams, of means for automatically presenting the yarn to the needles at the beginningof the knitting, and for causing the end of the yarn to be interknit with the fabric. The means for causing the end of the yarn to be interknit with the fabric is preferably constructed to also sever and hold the yarn between the yarn guide and fabric at the completion of the stocking or other article being knit, thus enabling successive articles to be knit without interrupting the operation of the machine, or ithout requiring the manipulation of the ya-rn by the operator.

The invention may be embodied in various types of knitting machines, and may be embodied with special advantage in machines for knitting seamless stockings or similar tubular fabrics, and will be further explained in connection with its application to a two-bank flat-bed machine for knitting seamless fashioned stockings.

The various features of the invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, and the following detailed description of the mechanism illustrated therein.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation showing so much of a two-bank flat-bed knitting machine as necessary to illustrate-the application ofthe present invention thereto; Fig. 2 is an elevation looking toward the left in Fig. 1,

showing certain parts embodying the present invention; Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the cams indicated in Figs. 1 and 2; Figs. 4 to 11 are diagrammatic elevations illus- 'trating the construction and mode of operation of the yarn handling devices embodymg. the invention in its preferred form;

and Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional detail showing an edge view of the yarn holder.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is provided with the usual front and rear banks of latch needles 1 mounted in inclined needle beds'2 and operated by cams carried by the cam carriages 3 which are connected by the yoke 4-and are reciprocated in the usual manner. The cams for operating and controlling the needles may be of the usual construction, and may be controlled and operated by a pattern mechanism in the usual manner. The yarn is de' livered to the needles during the knitting by a yarn guide 5 carried by a yarn carrier 6 mounted to reciprocate in suitable guideways on the base of the machine, and provided with a notched plate 7 adapted to be engaged by a dog 8 pivoted on the yoke 4. When the cam carriage is moving toward the left, the dog 8 engages the notch 9, and as the yarn guide passes the end of the active series of needles, the dog is disengaged from the notch 9 by a cam 10 ar- I ranged to engage the end of a lever 11 which -is connected with the dog 8 by a pin and slot connection 12. On the return stroke of the cam carriage the dog 8 engages the notch 13 in the plate 7, so that the yarn guide will lead the knitting cam during the nected with. the pattern mechanism, and is moved, as hereinafter described, by such mechanism. A similar'cam is arranged at the other end of the needle bed for causing the dog 8 to shift from the. notch 13 to the notch 9, when the movement of the cam car riages is reversed at the end of their stroke.

The yarn is severed and held at the completion of a stocking, and is presented to the needles at the beginning of the succeed ng stocking by a thread holding and cutting device comprising two aws it and 15,

which are pivotally mounted on a carrier block 16. The block is mounted on a rod 17, and is held normally in engagement with a collar 18 on the rod by a spring 19 interposed between the block and a head 20 formed on the rod. The rod is mounted to slide in a supporting bracket 21, and its movement in one direction is limited by the engagement of the collar 18 with the bracket, and in the other direction by the engagement of the collar 22 with the opposite end of'the bracket. As shown, the gripper jaws 14 and 15 are in the form of fiat plates, the lower ends of which are bent forward to operate upon the yarn. The

gripping jaws are mounted on a pivot screw 23, and this screw also supports a cutter 24 in the form of a plate pivoted on the screw and underlying the gripper plate 15. The thread engaging end of the gripper plate 15 is so bent that it just clears the upper edge of the plate 14, while the cutter plate 24 is so bent that its lower edge cooperates with the upper end of the plate 14 in severing the yarn when the gripping and cutting jaws 15 and 24 areclosed upon the jaw 14. The pivot screw 23 also supports a torsional spring 25, one end of which engages the jaw 14, and the other end of which engages the jaws 15 and 24, so that the spring tends to close the jaws of the yarn cutter and holder.

The plates 15 and 24 are connected to move together, and the plate 24 is provided with an extension 26 arranged to be engaged by the hooked end of a latch lever 27 which is pivoted on the block 16 and is arranged to be operated by a cam plate 28 projecting from the head 20. The jaw plate 14 is provided with a projection 29 arranged to be engaged by the end of astop plate 30 secured to thehead 20. The plate 14 is also provided with an upwardly extending spring finger 31 arranged to be engaged by one or the other of two arms 32 and 33 carried by the yarn carrier 6. The arms 32 and 33 are secured to a rock shaft434 mounted in the yarn carrier 6, and the arm 32 is provided. with an extension 35 adapted to beengaged by a cam bar 36 carried on bell crank levers 37 which are connected through a bar 38 with the pattern mechanism. The carrier block 16 is provided with a lug 39 arranged to be engaged by the horizontal arm of a bell crank lever 40 which is piv-- oted on the yarn carrier 6, and is provided wlth a vertlcal arm arranged to be engaged by a cam 41. The cam 41 is mounted on a fixed bracket 42, and is connected by a ioned seamless stockings having closed toes is as follows: During the knitting of the stocking the thread holder and cutter is in the position indicated in Fig. 11, and remains in this position until the knitting of the last course on the leg. In knitting this last course, the cam carriage moves toward the left, and when it is about midway of its stroke, the cam 41 is moved by the pattern mechanism into position to engage the bell crank lever 40. As the cam carriage and yarn carrier 6 continue to move toward the left, the lever 40 engages the cam 41 and the horizontal arm of the lever is swung down into position to engage the lug 29 on the carrier block 16 of the yarn cutter and holder. When the lever 40 engages the lug, continued movement of the yarn carrier moves the carrier block and its supporting rod 17 toward the left, until the collar 22 engages the end of the bracket 21, as indicated in Fig. 4. The movement of the rod 17 is then arrested, and during the continued movement of the arm carrier the block 16 is moved toward t e left, compress ing the spring 19 and bringing the projection 29 on the gripping jaw 14 against the stop 30, so that the jaw 14 is swung down intothe position indicated in Fig. 5, wiping under the yarn so that the yarn leading from the yarn guide to the needles lies across the jaw, as indicated in this view. The jaws 15 and 24 are held from movement atthis time by the latch lever 27, and the spring 25 is put under tension. As the yarn carrier completes its movement toward the left, the latch lever 27 rides on to the cam 28, and is disengaged from the projection 26 on the jaw 24, thus releasing the jaws 15 and 24 so that the spring 25 may swing these jaws into the position indicated in Fig. 6. As the jaws swing into this position the gripping jaw 15 passes over the yarn, and then the cutter plate 24 cooperates with the edge of the jaw 14 to sever the yarn as indicated. During the final movement of the yarn carrier the dog-8 has been disengaged from the notched plate on the yarn carrier by the cam 10, thus disconnecting the yarn carrier from the cam carrier;- A second cam 46, indicated in Fig. 6, has been moved by the pattern mechanism into position to prevent the engagement of the dog 8 with the notch 13 on the yarn carrier, and the cam carriage is now moved back and forth across the bed to cast off the stocking. After the stocking has been cast ed. the pattern mechanism moves the cam 46 back out of operainto its mid-position. At this time the projection 35 on the arm 32 is above the cam bar, so that the upward movement of the thrown out, and the cam carriage and yarn carrier moved toward the right, to knit the setting up course of the toe. As the cam carriage and yarn carrier move toward the right, the arm 32 engages the spring finger 31, and moves the yarn holder and cutter toward the right, until the collar 18 engages the end of the bracket 21, as indicated in Fig. 7. This brings the yarn holding grippers into position to hold the end of 1 the yarn, so that during the continued travel of the yarn guide the yarn will be presented to the needles, the position of the yarn hold ing jaws being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 12. After the collar 18 brings up against the end of the bracket 21, the finger 31 yields to allow the arms 32 and 33 to pass over it, and the yarn carrier delivers the yarn to both banks of needles which are operated to form thesetting up course, as indicated in Fig. 8, the end of the yarn being still held by the yarn holder. The rear bank of needles then remain down during the knitting of the narrowing and widening courses of the toe on the front bank in the usual manner. On the return stroke of the cam carriage and yarn carrier in knitting the second course on the front bank of needles, the arm 33 engages the spring finger 31 and swings the yarn holder up over the needles. This movement of the yarn carrier lays the yarn across the needles so that it is in position to be engaged by them and interknit into the fabric with the yarn from the yarn guide as the knitting of the second course is completed. After the arm 33 has moved the yarn holder into the position indicated in Fig. 10, the cam bar 36 is moved into itshighest position, so that the projection 35 on the arm 32 will ride under the end of the bar and lift the arms 32 and 33 into inoperative position, as indicated in Fig. 10. As the end of the yarn is knit into the fabric at the end ofthe stroke of the cam carriage toward the left, it is pulled out of the yarn holder, and the yarn holder remains in position during the continued knitting of the stocking, as indicated in Fig. 11.

While the invention has been shown and described as applied to a fiat-bed machine, it will be understood that it is not confined in its application to this type of machine, but may be embodied with advantage in other types of machines, the specific construction and arrangement of .the parts being varied or modified as found desirable or best suited to the construction of the machine in which it is to be embodied. It will also be understood that the invention is not limited to thespecific construction and arrangement of thread handling devices shown and described, and that such construction and arrangement may be varied or modified without departing from the broader features of the invention.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of machine in which it may be embodied, what is claimed is 1. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a series of needles, a yarn guide for delivering yarn to the needles during the knitting, and means for presenting the yarn to the needles at the beginning of the knitting and presenting to the needles the end of the yarn delivered by said guide to be knit into the fabric with the yarn subsequently fed from said yarn guide.

2. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a series of needles, :1 yarn guide for delivering yarn to the needles during the knitting, and means for severing and holding the yarn delivered by said guide at the completion of the knitting and for presenting the end of said yarn to the needles at the beginning of the knitting to be knit into the fabric with said yarn subsequently fed from the yarn guide.

3. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a series of needles, a yarn guide for delivering yarn to the needles during the knitting, a yarn severing and holding device, means for operating the device to sever and hold the yarn between the yarn guide and needles at the completion of the knitting, and means for. operating the device to present the yarn and the yarn end to the needles at the beginning of the knitting.

4. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a series of needles, a yarn guide for delivering yarn to the needles during the knitting, a yarn engaging device, and means for operating the device-to present the yarn to the needles at the beginning of the knitting and to lay the end of the yarn over needles beyond the needle which is first to receive the yarn from the yarn guide at the beginning of the knitting.

A knitting machine, having, in combination, front and back banks of needles, a yarn guide for delivering yarn to the needles during the knitting, a yarn holder, a carrier for the holder mounted for movement along the banks of needles, means for moving the carrier to the end of the active series of needles and for operating the holder to sever and hold the yarn at the completion of the knitting, and means for moving the carrier to the end of the active series of needles and operating the holder to present the end of the yarn to the needles at the beginning of the knitting.

6. A knitting machine, having, in combination, front and back banks of needles, a yarn guide for delivering yarn to the needles during the knitting, yarn holding jaws, means for operating the jaws to grip the yarn at the completion of the knitting, to cooperate with the yarn guide in presenting the yarn to the needles at the beginning of the knitting, and to present the end of the yarn to the active needles to be knit into the fabric.

7 A knitting machine, having, in combination, front and back banks of needles, :1 yarn guide for delivering yarn to the needles during the knitting,,a yarn holder for holding the end of the yarn during the formation of the setting-up course on both banks of needles, and means for operating the holder to present the end of the yarn to the needles of one bank during the knitting of a subsequent course. 8. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a series of needles, a yarn guide for delivering yarn to the needles during the knitting, a yarn engaging device, and means for operating the device to present the yarn to the needles at the beginning of the knitting and to present the yarn between the device and the needles to be knit into the fabric with the yarn subsequently fed from the yarn guide.

MAX 0. MILLER. WVitnesses:

J. W. BAKER, M. O. MULLEN. 

